The present invention relates to a stud holder for a stud-welding device and to a stud-welding device with a stud holder.
A stud-welding device is known from DE 32 01 979 A1. The welding device has a stud holder by means of which a stud is held at least during a welding process. A stud is supplied to the stud holder via a supply duct which opens into a through-duct in the stud holder. The through-duct has an outlet orifice from which a stud projects when it has adopted its welding position in the stud holder. For holding a stud, the stud holder has resilient holding fingers which extend in the longitudinal direction of the through-duct and, in the region of the outlet orifice, each have a holding portion which is distributed over a periphery of the through-duct. The holding fingers simultaneously form an electrical contact to the stud.
The term stud covers articles having different external contours which can be welded to a metallic structure by means of a stud-welding device. For example, a weld stud with covering caps is known from DE 36 13 397 C2, wherein the weld stud has a cylindrical region to be grasped by a stud-welding device, to which a threaded shank of smaller diameter is connected to form a shoulder, and a covering cap of plastics material which can be arranged on the threaded shank until it contacts the shoulder. The cylindrical region passes via a step and a bevel with a reduction in diameter into the shoulder. The covering cap is provided with an elastic lip which, when expanded, covers the bevel when the covering cap rests on the shoulder. The cylindrical region to be grasped by the stud holder is relatively narrow so there is a risk during a welding process that the stud weld will not be secured in the correct position. An incorrectly positioned stud weld necessitates finishing work which, in particular in the case of mass production, is not acceptable. An oblique position which the stud can adopt in a stud holder is also dependent on the spatial orientation of the weld point to which the stud is to be welded. For example, the weld stud adopts an oblique position during overhead welding which is different from the position adopted during welding in which the weld stud is to extend substantially horizontally.